The War Between Love and Abuse
by TMNTPunker
Summary: The Turtles have been dreaming of a troubled girl, then Leo finds her and his life is turned upside down.
1. Reality and Seeing for the first time

The War Between Love & Abuse

Chapter one- Reality

            I know I wasn't supposed to see it. But I did. And after it happened, after I saw that trickle of blood on her lip, I knew my life was never going to be the same. Nothing was ever going to be the same again.

            "Where the hell did you think you were going to go?"

His only response was silence.

            "Answer me god dam it!"

            "I don't know" she replied quietly.

            "You don't know? The hell you don't know!" he yelled

            "I'm sorry," she whispered faintly.

            "Not as sorry as you're going to be when I'm finished with you, young lady"

He walked over to her angrily and grabbed her by the arm and began to drag her roughly out of the ally.

            "Ow! That hurts, stop!!!"

He stopped abruptly, turned around, and smacked her right in the face. The sound echoed throughout the alleyway they were standing in.

            "Don't you ever tell me what to do, ya hear? Ever!" he replied vehemently, spittle flying from his mouth.

The girl winced and gave a meek nod.

            "By the time I'm through with you, you'll be lucky if you're able to sit down in a week."

Her eyes fell to the ground, suddenly interested in the tip of her shoe protruding underneath her wide pant legs.

            "Look at me when I talk to you"

He wrenched her chin up to meet his eyes, and snarled at her.

            "Things are going to change around here, starting now"

But her mind drifted, her eyes focused on the background behind him. Another smack to the face sent her to the ground. A metallic taste filled her mouth…blood. He hastily pulled her to her feet and dragged her down the alley towards the street. That's when she saw them…the eyes. How long had they been watching? Oh god she said inwardly. If she knew who it was she'd apologize for this. Maybe it was some homeless person. She could come back later with food, and maybe get a chance to apologize. If she ever would be able to

            He watched quietly from his perch on the fire escape outside her bedroom window. The man had chained her to the bed and had locked the door to the equally bare room. He snorted with disgust. How could anyone live like this? His eyes fell back onto the still form curled on the bed. She hadn't moved since the man had thrown her there. But he could see her shake from the silent sobs that raked through her body. After awhile he turned away, disgusted. It was getting late. He needed to get home before anyone started to worry. Tomorrow evening he would come back to check on her. As silently as he came, he left and melted into the darkness.

            When she finally woke up, she wished that she hadn't. A blinding pain hit her full force. She could already tell that her jaw was swollen and bruised. She didn't even want to know what her lip looked like. The salty metallic taste still lingered on her tongue. God, she needed to get out of here. With a groan she pulled herself up into a sitting position on the hard bed. How long had she been out? God she needed a watch. Damn!! Her job! Marty was going to be pissed! As she began to scramble off the bed, she noticed the chains that bound her to the foot of the bed. 

            "Aw man, Marty is going to kill me!"

            "Who's Marty?"

The sudden voice made her jump, leaving her hanging partially from the bed. The voice's owner pulled her back up with a quick jerk of a chain. She looked around, wondering where the person went. When she saw no one she started shaking her head.

            "Dad really knocked me good, I'm starting to hallucinate."

            "No, you're not, I'm real. I, uh, just don't want you to see me."

            "Are you going to kill me? I really hope you do. It would be a ticket outta this hellhole."

He blinked in surprise. He never met anyone who wished for his or her own death before. This girl was very interesting and, at the same time, dangerous. Dangerous? Where had that come from? Get a grip Leo; she's a girl in need of some help. She could hardly hurt anyone. Or could she? He shook his head and looked back over at her. It was the first time he got a really good look at her. And what he saw both enraged and confused him. Enraged because he saw the pain in her eyes and confused because he became lost in her eyes.

            "Are you still there?"

            "Yes. Why do you ask?"

            "I, uh, don't want you to leave."

            "Why?"

Silence met his ears, and he watched as a tear escaped her eye. 

            "Umm…because, I…I don't want to be alone. You're comforting."

Leo sucked in a sharp breath. This was too real. Then he realized that it was.

            "Well, I'll stay was long as I can."

            "You have to leave soon, don't you?"

            "Yea, you could say that. I have people who would worry if I didn't get home."

            "Must be nice."

            "What?"

            "People caring about you like that."

            "Oh…well umm…yea, it is."

Her only response was a small sigh. Something inside of his chest tightened. What was it?

            "So… do you have a name?"

            "Leonardo."

            "That's some fancy name."

            You can call me Leo if you want."

            "Ok…Leo. I like it."

She gave him a crooked grin. First time he had seen her smile. She looked bea- stop. This was not happening.

            "What's yours?"

            "Rain."

He blinked and felt his chest tighten a little more. Rain.

            "That's an…odd name."

So beautiful. A very beautiful name.

            "Yea well, my mom was kind of a hippie."

He saw the look of mourning in her dark eyes. They were so empty. Empty yet full of hurt and anger. Betrayal. Tighter. It was starting to get harder for him to breath.

            "I have to go."

            "Now?"

            "Yes, now."

            "Will I see you again?"

            "Yes."

            "Promise?"

He bit his tongue. Could he promise her that? Gods, how couldn't he?

            "Yes, I promise."

            "Hey, what time is it?"

            "11:30pm"

            "Crap, Marty is going to just kill me!"

            "Who's Marty?"

            "He's my boss. I work at that little pizza place down the block and around the corner. Ever been there before?"

            "Yes, plenty of times."

Too many times he thought to himself. 

            "Maybe I'll see ya sometime."

            "Maybe."

            "G'night Leo"  
            "Night Rain"

He watched as her rose-colored lips twitched into a small smile. Even they were pale with grief. His eyes became fixated with the cut on her lower lip. He could kill that man. He turned and slipped out of the cold room. Empty, everything was empty.

            The small child ran around the meadow, her long hair playfully thrown around in the wind. Her eyes were transfixed on a white butterfly. A giggle like the sound of wind chimes escaped from her rose-petal lips. So jubilant and full of life and wonder…then the image vanished, replaced with a frigid chill and a blackened room. Inside, curled in a corner, was the same girl. But she was older. All her warmth and luster were gone. She cried silently. Her tears formed miniature rivers of salt on her cheeks. Something ached. Her heart. It ached for love and compassion. But there was something new. It was a flicker of hope that wasn't there before. She lifted her face and reached out. 

"Help Me," she whispered. Leo jerked awake, breathing hard. He pushed away the sweat soaked sheets.

            "Damn."

            The distant sound of a ringing phone brought her out of a deep slumber. Who was it? She strained to hear the short, muffled conversation. 

            "No, she's been sick."

            "Yea, sick."

            "She'll be back into work in a week or so."

            "Yea, I'll tell her. Bye"

Heavy footsteps came towards her bedroom. The soft click of a lock falling out of place and the groan of the door opening woke her up completely. Her father's tired face came into view.

            "You're boss called."

            "What'd he want?"

            "Called to see where you were."

            "When can I go back to work?"

There was a pause. His brows pinched together in a brief moment of anger.

            "When I feel like you've learned a lesson. That's when."

The door slammed behind him, causing her to jerk from the sudden noise. She sighed deeply. When was this going to end? Her eyes fell to the chains around her wrists and ankles. The skin was already becoming raw. Damn.

            "Morning Leo."

He gave a grunt in response to Mike's cheeriness.

            "Whoa, what's with him?"

            "Couldn't tell you."

Mike glanced over at his brother. Don has his face hidden behind a newspaper. Typical.

            "Morning Raph."

Raphael gave the same grunt in response that Leo had. Man, they were more alike than they thought. Mike shook his head and turned back to the pile of pancakes sitting on the counter. Breakfast was ready.

            "Ok, who's hungry?"

He had barely set the plate down before greedy hands grabbed half the pile away. Guess everyone. Mike drenched his pancakes with syrup and tried to remember what it was he needed to tell his brothers. Let's see…

            "Hey did anyone have a dream about that girl last night?"

            "I did." Raph replied

            "Yea, same here. It was very confusing." 

Leo remained silent. He hadn't ever dreamed of the girl. The others, they had been dreaming of her off and on for the past few years now. Splinter still didn't know what it meant. And it puzzled him that Leonardo still hadn't had the dreams. 

            "What happened in the dream that confuses you, my son?"

Don turned to face Splinter, swallowing his mouthful before speaking.

            "Well, at first I saw this little girl running through this big meadow. Seemed like it could have been somewhere out near April's farm. She was chasing this little white butterfly and then it suddenly just faded and it was the same girl, only she was older, and she looked really lost, and afraid and…and…"

            "Empty." Raph finished for him.

            "Yea empty. Thanks Raph."

            "Not a problem."

            "Yea! And then she looked up and reached her hand out and whispered 'Help me'. It was very strange man." 

They all nodded in agreement.

            "She had not done this before?"

              
            "No Sensei."

            "Hmm, most peculiar. Maybe something is happening with this child. It seems as years go by, your dreams become more cold, and needy."

That tightening feeling came back to Leo. He needed to get out of there.

            "Master Splinter, may I be excused please?"

Everyone looked over at the seemingly calm turtle. But Splinter sensed his son's distraught. He gave him a simple nod. Leo bowed his head respectfully and was gone.

            "Man, what is up with him? He's been acting really strange for the past couple days, dudes."

            "Yea, I know. It's not like him. It's like he's been distracted by something." Don added.

Raphael cleared his throat, causing everyone to look at him expectantly.

            "What I wasn't gonna say nothin'."

He gave an exasperated sigh and got up from the table. Mike and Don looked at each other and shrugged.

            "You two stay and clean up, then come join us in the dojo for morning practice."

            "Yes Master Splinter." They replied in usion.

With respectful bows, they went about their tasks.

            "Leo, what are you doing?! Leo! LEO!!"

Leonardo spun around in a half high round about kick and completely lost control of both his katanas. He watched in horror as one slammed into the wall and the other nearly missing Raphael. At the same time he lost his footing and fell to the floor with a loud thunk. The only sound that could be heard in the dojo was Leo's labored breathing. What was wrong with him? He closed his eyes tightly and only saw her face, her bruised face.

            "Leo I want to speak with you now."

Splinter's voice was boarding on anger. But his eyes held a glint of concern. Leo stood up slowly, bowed, and left the dojo. His brother's were still standing there with their mouths still gaping from the shock. Splinter turned to them and clapped his hands sharply.

            "Continue on with your practice."

            "Yes Master Splinter." Michelangelo and Donatello replied.

Raph just grunted and went over to the wall and yanked Leo's katana out. 

            "God what is wrong with him!? He's never fucked up like that! Never!"

He heaved his fists into the punching bag hanging in the corner.

            "Raph, calm down, there has to be a reason-."

            "No! I will not calm down! You wanna know what his reason is?"

            "Uh…do I?" Mike ventured.

            "I'll bet you anything he's been having dreams about that girl from day one. I bet you anything, and he probably knows something that we don't. And he's not going to tell us because 'its not safe, we shouldn't get involved.'"

Raphael had a nasty tone to his voice as he quoted one of the many well know thoughts that Leo voiced on a regular basis. Don and Mike exchanged glances. Raph was right. 

            Splinter settled into the large pillow across from where his son sat silently. Leonardo had his head bowed low, and his face hidden in his hands.

            "Something is troubling you, is it not?"

Leo slowly pulled his hands away from his face and looked up at Splinter. He nodded silently.

            "And what is troubling you, my son?"

            "The girl."

His voice was barely above a whisper. He felt ashamed for denying the dreams that he had been having for so long.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter two- seeing for the first time

            Rain idly tugged at the chains that bound her to hell. When was she ever going to get out of here? And would that Leo guy ever come back to talk to her? Or did he just abandon her like all the rest? God, would she ever have any answers in her life? No, knowing her luck. With a sigh she lay back down and started to trace the all too familiar cracks on her ceiling with her eyes. Oh boy, she was bored out of her mind. She wondered how long she had been locked up for. It seemed like years ago that Leo had been in her room. A tight feeling grew in her chest when she thought of him. Where was he anyways?

            "I wish he would come back", she said softly to herself.

            "Wish who would come back?"

            "LEO! Oh my God is that you?"

Leo couldn't help but smile. Seeing her this excited really made him feel…how did it make him feel?

            "Yea, its me, did you miss me at all?"

            "Did I ever! God where have you been?"

            "Umm, been around. So, how are you doing?"

Rain looked down at her sore wrists and ankles. Lets see, how was she?

            "I'm bored out of my mind! But other than that, just peachy."

She gave a small empty chuckle. It broke his heart to see anyone in pain like that. Especially her. Damn, where had that come from? He started to take a step towards her then thought better of it. No sense in scaring her to death. He watched her peer into the darkness eagerly. He felt his chest tighten with a bit of guilt.

            "Why can't I see you Leo?"

He had hoped she wouldn't ask that question. But it was inevitable wasn't it?

            "I, uh, just don't…I'm not really good to look at."

He mentally kicked himself in the ass for that. Could he have possibly come up with a lamer excuse? He watched as her nose crinkled in a bit of distaste.

            "C'mon, probably a lot better looking than me."

Gods no, she was more beautiful than a setting sun. Did he just think that? Leo, stop this. You can't become emotionally attached. But he longed to.

            "No, I'm really not."

            "Please?"

Her pouting lips pulled at every one of his heartstrings. How could he resist? He couldn't. Slowly he took a step from the shadows and came into view at the foot of her bed.

Rain  
            The first thing I ever saw when my eyes fell upon him was _his_ eyes. Those beautiful crystal blue eyes. Piercing, unreadable, dignified, and…lonely? I became lost in them. I think I made him a bit uncomfortable because he cleared his throat with a quaint politeness. I blinked several times and remembered to breath. My eyes continued to roam down his body. His arms where huge! In fact his whole body just seemed like one huge muscle. But of course it wasn't. Every part of his body was well defined, the way the muscles were flexed, how he had the ability to walk soundlessly. It was amazing. What intrigued me the most though, were his hands and feet and his back. His hands only had three fingers and his feet with only two large toes. His back wasn't even a back it was a shell. How odd, but in some very different way, handsome. He had a very handsome face. Charming. Was that the word I was grasping for? I wasn't sure. I watched him as he made his way to the side of my bed and take a seat on the edge of it. His eyes never left my face, which was comforting. I wondered what he was thinking. He probably thought I was being freakish. Sitting here and gawking at him like this. But was just so amazing to look at. I couldn't take my eyes off him. Those eyes, his eyes, shameless to the core. His hands weathered and calloused from years of use of his strength. Those strong arms that, if curled in, could make you feel safe from death itself. All of him was absolutely beautiful. I finally looked back up in his face and was surprised to see a soft glow in his eyes. He seemed to be taken aback. Wonder why?

Leo

            She just stared at me. Her dark eyes soaking up every detail of my body. It made me feel slightly uncomfortable at first, but after awhile I became used to it. She had immediately become fascinated with my eyes. Or so it seemed. She sat there and looked into them for what seemed like an eternity. Could she tell that I was blushing madly? No, too dark. Two things bewildered me. One, she wasn't terrified of me. And two, she was smiling. A real, and perfect smile. The first time I ever saw purity in her. Not that she wasn't pure, but…oh gods never mind. I walked over to the side of her bed and took a seat next to her. We both sat there quietly for a bit. Neither one of us wanting to speak. Just watch each other. Both being comforted by each other's presence. I took this opportunity to get a better look at her. Now that I was closer, I saw details I had missed in my dreams. Her eyes were a deep midnight blue. And if I looked closely I could see small flecks of sky blue mingling in the darkness of them. Beautiful. Everything about her was beautiful. Her small, slender hands. Her long graceful arms a soft creamy color with a satiny feel. Lips the color and shape of a small rose bud. Her waist curving dangerously in a very seductive way. I longed to touch the softness of her. But I again restrained these feelings. They were something I shouldn't indulge in. But I was quickly losing the battle. The one and only battle I have ever lost and loved losing. Her body was soft. She really didn't look defenseless at all. She was average in size. Not slender like April. She was slightly fuller. She was also the first to break the silence.

            "Why didn't you want me to see you?"

He blinked in surprise, not quite sure how to respond to her blatant question.

            "Uh…well, uhm…ah…"

            "Were you afraid?"

            "Well you see…"

            "Cause, if you were, you shouldn't have been. You're not bad to look at, at all. You're very wonderful to look at if you want to know the truth. And I'm sure you have heard this a bazillion times, but, I've never seen anyone quite like you before."

            "You think I'm wonderful to look at?"

A deep red rose into her cheeks. I felt my heart flutter.             

            "Uh, heh, yea."

Before I could stop myself, I reached out and grasped one of her chained hands. At first she tried to pull away, afraid as if I would hit her, but relaxed as I gave her hand a gentle squeeze. I could tell she was very confused and at the same time ecstatic. Just by how her eyes came to life. That very moment I touched her she came to life. And the tightening feeling in my chest exploded into pure ecstasy of the sheer knowledge of having that power.

            "Leo…"

            "Hmm?"

            "I don't want to be alone anymore."

Her voice broke and she fell into my arms crying. I frowned and did the only thing I could. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her close to me. 

            "Shh…shh…you don't have to be alone anymore. I'm here, it'll be ok."

But in my heart I knew it wouldn't be. And that, I believe, was the first time I ever felt real defeat.

Rain

            The moment he wrapped those powerful arms around me, was the moment my soul unlocked itself and opened up everything that had been hidden for so long. He held me close to him and told me I wasn't alone anymore and I believed him. I trusted him and I knew I could count on him. I hadn't even known him for more than a couple days, yet, I had complete trust in this man. It felt right. Did mother send him to me? Did she know how lonely I was? How unloved and neglected? Again more questions left unanswered. But one answer I did have was, there is someone out there who could love me. Ack! Love me? Leo? Maybe I meant cared for me. Ok, maybe I should just stop thinking about this. Right, I'm stopping. Leo could never love me. Could he? I sighed into his plastron and listened to his steady heartbeat. Then without warning, I felt him slowly begin to run his fingers in small circles in the middle of my back, which relaxed me and I soon, found myself feeling drowsy. I didn't want to fall asleep, but after letting all those pent up emotions out, I soon found myself slipping away to another world where pain didn't exist.

            Quick heavy footsteps could be heard from the hallway heading towards Rain's room. Leo quickly removed Rain from his lap and gently laid her down on the bed. He frowned realizing she had no covers or even a single pillow. In fact there was hardly anything in the room. A single dresser sat in the corner, but nothing sat on it to show that its owner had any sort of personality. The whole room was plain and impersonal. He took one more look at the girl sleeping, and then slipped out of the window just as he heard the lock slide out of place and the bedroom door creak open. Leo dropped to the ground soundlessly and made his way to the manhole nearby. Before he reached it though, he sensed a presence hiding in the shadows to his right.

            "Raph, what are you doing here?"

            "Well that's a real good question Leo, I should ask you the same thing."

            "Its none of your business."

            "Oh ho ho, the fearless leader thinks it's not my business. Well you have another thing comin' to ya pal. It is my business, and yea wanna know why?"

Leo had a stern look on his face. He did not want to be having this conversation at this very moment. Especially out in the open where the foot could easily catch them. But, he'd humor his brother, just this once.

            "Why Raphael?"

Raph sneered, rejoicing in the fact that, for once, Leo would play along.

            "Because I know about everything. I know who is up there in that little room. And I know about your dreams Leo. How you've been denying them to our faces. What kind of leader does that huh? What kind of leader goes behind his brothers' backs like that? Do you know?"

            "No, why don't you enlighten me, Raphael."

            "One without honor, Leonardo."

It took all of Leo's self-control not to level his brother right that instant. If he knew half the story then he would have known better than to say something that harsh. He gave his brother an angry look and was about to say something when a sudden scream cut through the thick tension between them. They looked at one another then both jumped up onto the fire escape. Leo reached her window first and wished he hadn't. Rain's father had her long dark hair wrapped around his knuckles tightly and was jerking her head around violently. Leo only heard half of what he was yelling about before thrusting the window open and knocking him onto the floor in one fluid motion.

Raphael

            When I heard the scream I forgot about Leo and I's little disagreement and immediately went into ninja mode. Leo gave me a quick "ok" look and we both jumped onto the fire escape. But we both weren't prepared for what we saw when we reached the bedroom window. Rain's father had her by the hair and was yelling at her furiously about denying something.

            "Don't you fucking lie to me, there was someone in here, I heard their voice. Now how was it?"

            "I swear, there was no one in here!"

He yanked her head violently again. That's when I watched Leo throw the window open and leap inside, ramming the guy to the floor. I rushed over to Rain and immediately went to work on the chains.

            "No, no, leave them!"

            "Excuse me? I know I didn't hear you say that."

            "Please just leave me, get out of here!"

            "Uh uh, no way, I ain't leavin' without you. You don't have much of a choice sweets."

She gave me a cold glare, which only made me grin as I broke the handcuffs. God, her wrists and ankles looked horrible. 

            "C'mon, lets go?"

            "Wait! Hang on a second!"

I groaned. We didn't have a second. Leo was about to kill her father. She quickly scrambled to her closet and grabbed an overstuffed backpack, then rushed past me to the window. I made sure she was out safely before going back to Leo. Rain's father had become his personal punching bag. Not a good thing.

            "Leo, c'mon, lets get outta here!"

With one final blow to the head, he got up and slipped out the window. Wow, I didn't want to be him when he wakes up. It's gonna take a little more than a bottle of Tylenol to help with the pain he's gonna feel. Geesh. 

Leo glanced around one more time before sliding the manhole cover back into place. Then he jumped down into the sewer and started heading towards home. He was not a happy turtle. Ok, so maybe callin' him an honor less leader was pushin' it, but dammit he pissed me off when he did shit like this! Ugh! I glanced over at Rain, she was a pretty girl. About my height, 5'7", long dark hair and dark eyes. With long dark lashes hovering over them. She was a real looker. Wait'll Casey sees her! I grinned; Casey and I were going to have to pay Rain's father another visit in the near future. I again glanced to my side at her, and then blinked. Wait. Where the hell…?

            "Rain?"  
            "Uh…I'm stuck."

            "Your what?"

            "Stuck."

            "Fuck, Leo. Hold up, she's stuck!"

Leo turned around and walked back over to us.

            "She's stuck?"

            "Yea, stuck. Ok can we get over the 'She's stuck' thing? Christ!"

            "Here, I've got her."

Leo walked over to her and reached out to take her by the shoulders but she cowered away, as if he was about to smack her. I saw a glint of guilt in his eyes.

            "Rain, its ok, we won't hurt you.Yea maybe we have some nasty tempers, but we would never, ever hit you."

She glanced up at me shyly, and relaxed a bit, which was enough for Leo to be able to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way home. Now maybe Splinter could figure out the whole dream thing. There has to be some reason, some connection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


	2. Now the Story

Chapter 3- Now the Story

            Michelangelo

                She was really here, sitting in that chair, and eating my chicken noodle soup. Wow, she was really here. Wow, wow, wow,wo-

                "Michelangelo!"

Splinter's stern voice brought me out of my daze. Apparently she had asked for some more soup. I felt myself blush and quickly got up to get her more. She looked really good. I mean, really hott! In the dreams I never really paid much attention, but now that she was here, she just looked amazing! I couldn't believe she was real. Man…

                Donatello

She looked so scared. Ok well maybe not scared. Shy? She was being very quiet and withdrawn. It could have been the fact that she hadn't had much to eat in a long period of time. I gave her a quick look over, or tried to at least. She kept wincing and shying away from my touch. It got kind of frustrating after 10 minutes, so I just gave up. But I prompted her to take a vitamin C and to take a hot shower. Then Mikey could fix her something to eat. Now an hour later we all sat around the table and waited. Splinter said she was the key to why we were dreaming of her. Just wish she'd hurry it along.

                Rain

The whole place looked like a house. Only under ground in a sewer system. But it had real furniture, more than I had. In the living room there was an old worn couch that looked like it had been through many owners, and had had many face lifts over a long period of time. Sitting next to it was a worn recliner, obviously found somewhere at the city dump. Actually, come to think of it, all the furniture looked like it had been. The coffee table sitting in front of the patched up couch looked as if it had been through WW III with all its chipped pieces and missing leg. A few books were stacked underneath it to compensate for the unevenness. I really liked it though. It felt comfortable and charming. Homey, hah! Was that even a word? Well, it was now. I couldn't  help but let a small smile slip out. For the first time in a while, I felt at home. The shower felt refreshing too. I hadn't been able to take one in a long time, so running my fingers through my long and now clean hair felt like heaven! I leaned against the cool tile of the wall, letting the warm water wash over me, cleansing not only my body but also my soul. It had been a long time since I felt anything like this. Safe. Something I had taken for granted until that night when life ended for me. I didn't want to think of that now. Not until I had to talk about it, if I could even do that. A knock at the door startled me enough that I almost hit my head on the showerhead. 

                "Rain?"

                "Yea?"

                "You ok in there?"

                "Umm…yea, I'm fine."

                "Alright, well dinner will be ready when you get out."

                "Ok, thanks."

I relaxed after he left. I wasn't sure but it sounded like Donatello. He was a very interesting man- er turtle. But none-the-less he was interesting. Extremely intelligent, and distant from the living. Computer geek, that's what I wanted to call him. At any rate, he was a good guy, although him trying to give me a doctor's "checkup" was something I didn't want to go through again. I only hope that I won't get hurt in the near future. I have a feeling I'm going to be here for a good amount of time. 

As soon as the water started running cold I shut it off and stepped out to grab a towel. In the process I was blasted with a rush of cool air. I needed to remember to lock the bathroom door.

                "Jesus! Raph!"

He froze, just staring at me blankly. Luckily I was quick enough to grab the towel and cover myself before he saw anything. At least I hope he didn't see anything. 

                "Uh…"

                "Get the fuck out!"

He continued to look at me with a dumbfounded expression.

                "Raph…get…out…NOW!"  

I walked over and shoved him out the door, locking it behind him. Jesus. Stupid turtle.

                Raphael

I had completely forgotten that she was in the shower. So storming in there and catching her stark naked by surprise was definitely not winning me her trust. I really hadn't seen much. But it was enough to get me excited, and I don't mean in the active way. Oh boy it was gonna take a nice cold shower to get this turtle sobered up. She was beautiful though. The soft curves of her body were dangerous in so many ways and on so many levels. I know I have self control but if this happens again I'm not so sure if I could keep my hands off her. Wait, did I just think that? I have a girlfriend, I need to keep my hands off of her. I will not be unfaithful to Jasmine. Besides Rain is just a friend, no, she's a sister, she's a part of this family now, well hopefully, so it would be wrong for me to think about her like that. Right, now, for that cold shower.

                She stepped into the kitchen carefully not really wanting to have attention drawn to her. But she was unsuccessful, all eyes turned to her, watching her take a seat and waiting for her to finish eating. When she was finished. The bowl was cleared away and everyone sat, waiting patiently for the story to start and the answers to their questions about the dreams solved. Splinter folded his hands on the table and looked over at the young girl.

                "How old are you child?"

                "I'm 18."

Murmurs started to drift across the table but were immediately silenced by Splinter's old gnarled hand. 

                "Tell us your story child."

Rain sighed deeply. This was an old wound she didn't want to re-open, but it looked like she had no real choice. So with a deep breath she began her story.

                "When I was younger my parents and I lived on this small farm about 2 hours from Manhattan. I used to play in the big meadow behind the house. I think those were my happiest memories, chasing the butterflies and sleeping in the tall grass in the sun. It was perfect. My parents loved and cherished me more than anything. It was just…normal. Anyways, as I got older I got interested in dancing. So I took Irish step dancing classes twice a week in the evenings. For a while it was going pretty good, I was making a lot of friends and I was in a lot of dance competitions. But you know that saying 'All good things must come to an end'? Well, my dad lost his job so we had to cut back on a great deal of things since he was our main source of income. Then he started drinking. He'd come home late at night sometimes, after being at the bar most of the day. Eventually it became an everyday routine, and each night he became more violent with us. He'd yell at mom for the smallest mistakes. Like maybe she hadn't gotten the dishes done or dinner was cold. He never hit her I was his punching bag. My room was kind of messy, but teenagers are like that. He didn't want me like that so after a day of being out drinking, he'd come home, yell at mom and then come up to my room to check if it was clean or not. It was never good enough for him so he beat me into making it cleaner the next time. Dance lessons eventually had to be cut out because lack of money and too many bruises to hide.  
  


                "Your mother never did anything about your father beating you?" Don interrupted.

                "Uh no, she didn't. She still loved him so she wouldn't leave him. She just kept telling me that it would get better. That it was only temporary. And I believed her. That was a huge mistake."

She wiped away a few stray tears that were trailing down the sides of her face. Leonardo reached over and took one of her hands in his; and squeezed it reassuringly. She gave him a weak smile and continued.

                "We were coming home from my last lesson, my mother and I, that is, and umm… it had been raining so the roads were kind of slick." She paused, taking a deep breath. " She uh, we never saw the other car coming, not until it was too late. There was this bend in the road and it all just happened so fast, ya know?" She gave a harsh chuckle, tears falling freely now. " When it hit she went flying through the windshield. Killed her instantly."

Don grimaced, not wanting to imagine what Rain must have seen. He took a quick glance around the table. Mike had tears rolling down his cheeks, Raphael had his head bowed low and his eyes shut tightly, Leo was still holding Rain's hand, his eyes unreadable. And Master Splinter watched quietly, waiting for her to regain her composure. 

                "Sorry, this is just…really hard for me. I haven't talked about this to anyone."

                "Take your time child, we understand the pain you must be feeling and respect that it is hard for you to remember such hurtful memories."

His wise and soothing voice calmed her down enough so that she could finish her story. 

                "Well, I remember hearing voices coming towards our car, someone came around to my side and reassured me that I was fine and that help was on the way. They didn't mention anything about my mom, which I was grateful for. If they had I would have lost it, well no, I would have realized that it was real and that she was really dead. At the time I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to admit she was gone forever. That hope was gone forever. The ambulance finally arrived but they had to wait for the fire department because I was wedged between the car door and the dashboard. "

                "How is that possible?" Raphael interrupted.

                "Well when he hit us he had rammed us in the front and our car went spinning out of control and slammed into a tree, which was on my side."

                "When _he_ hit you?"

                "Um…yea…my dad was the one who hit us."

A heavy silence fell upon the kitchen. Leo's voice barely came out as a whisper when he was finally able to speak.

                "Your father was the one to kill you mother and almost kill you?"

Rain nodded silently.

                "And your father is the one who beat you on a daily basis?"

                "Yes but it didn't start until he got out of prison."

                "How long was he in there?"

                "He didn't get out till about a year or so ago."

                "And they never checked to see if he abused you?"

                "He never told them, and I never said anything. He's the only family I have Leo."

                "Rain that's still not a good reason to just let him get away with something like that."

                "But being put away in foster care and losing the only father I have and all the memories of my mother would be a good idea?"

                "Rain that's not what I meant…"

                "Well it sure as hell sounded like it did."

                "Rain…"

                "I'm done talking about this. You know the story now. I sure hope you're satisfied with it."

With that she stood up and stormed out of the kitchen, leaving the turtles with gaping mouths and their father more troubled than before.


	3. Brotherly Love

Hey all! So I figure this time around I'll remember to say that…I DO NOT OWN THE TMNT. I only own Rain, her drunk and stupid worthless father. Her deceased mother and jasmine (raphs stripper gf) and some little person, but I won't go into detail about that till later on in the story. Sure hope your enjoyin' it enough. I sure am just writin' it! Woo! Right, now ya'll have a good time yea hear? 

Chapter 4- Brotherly Love

            Rains father never did come looking for her, so she stayed with us. I gave her my room and moved into Raphael's. I'm still in shock with that. Raph and I never have gotten along and he's always kicking me out of his room. So him offering me a place to stay was more than I could ever begin to understand. Or want to for that matter. It had been almost 4 months since Rain had come into our lives, and during this whole time she is still upset with me. She's cold towards me and I believe it's the worst wound ever inflicted upon me. I feel too ashamed to go to Master Splinter for help, and I won't talk to my brother's about it. But I have no idea how to go about making amends with her. I hadn't meant to say those things to her, but I just couldn't understand why she put up with her father and the abuse he inflicted upon her. It just didn't seem right. Now things were unbalanced between us and I hate it. I glanced over at the clock and groaned. I was never going to get any sleep. That was another thing, I haven't been getting enough rest and in turn I was doing poorly during morning practice. I got up as quietly as possible and slipped out the door. I needed to get out and think.

            Two in the morning and New York is at its quietest. I climbed up the ladder soundlessly and crept over the ledge of the building. The perfect place to be when watching the sunrise or set. And no one knew I was here. Or at least I thought no one did. 

            "Raph, why did you follow me?"

He walked over to me and sat down.

            "Dunno, thought I'd keep ya company."

            "Since when have you ever wanted to do that freely?"

            "Oh since right about now. Why you askin' me so many stupid questions Leo? Can't a guy spend a little quality time with his brother?"

Now I was suspicious. Since when did Raph ever want to spend quality time with me, unless it was when he was kicking my ass?

            "Ok, ya got me, I'm curious. What do you want?"

            "Nothin' Leo, I'm just…"

            "Just what?"

            "Worried about you."

            "Oh."

An uncomfortable silence fell between us. This was all very new to me, and I'm sure for him as well.

            "So what's eaten ya Leo?"

            "Isn't it kind of obvious?"

            "Well…yea, but I figured I'd give ya the opportunity to deny it a little bit more to save face."

He gave me a smudge smirk, which made me laugh. Good ol' Raphael. Some things will never change.

            "Thanks, you're a, er, never mind."

            "S'what I thought. So, tell me what's on your mind Leo. Ya gotta talk to someone about it. Look at ya you're a mess! Not gettin' 'nuff sleep, doing bad at practice. You won't talk to Splinter or any of us. I can only sit back and watch ya fall apart for so long ya know."

            "I just don't know what to do. I don't know how to make things right between us. She won't talk to me, she's cold around me and… it's killing me."

            "You really care about her a lot don't you?"

            "Yea, you could say that."

            "Then tell her that."       

            "What?"

            "Tell her how much you care about her. Give her your honor and your trust. Give her some devotion Leo, because I can tell ya right now. That girl cares about you more than she lets on. Mikey's been talkin' to her. Don't let her slip through your fingers Leo. You'll regret it for the rest of your life."

This is the most Raph has ever told me. But every word is true. I needed to tell her. She needed to know that I would give my life up if it meant for her to live a decent life and to have happiness in it. 

            "What all has she said to Mikey?"

            "That's not for me to say. You'll have to talk to Mike yourself."

            "Fair enough."

            "C'mon, lets get back, try and get some sleep. If we don't we're both going to have a bad practice, and that's not going to make Splinter too happy."

He stood up and held his hand down. I took it gratefully and pulled myself up. In turn he pulled me into a quick, tight embrace, clapping me on the shoulder. I returned the brotherly gesture, and then we both headed towards home. I have a feeling that I will be getting some well-deserved sleep. 

Rain

I watched him go through the movements with a steady confidence. It was something I truly grew to love about him. I was still hurt by what he had said to me those few months ago, but I was still growing fonder of him. Dam it; men can be so confusing and hurtful. But I guess he hadn't meant it and that makes him stand apart from the rest. It makes him the most incredible person I've ever met. Now don't get me wrong. Don, Raph, and Mikey are all swell guys. I love them all to death. But it's always been different with Leonardo. Mikey thinks I'm in love with him. I don't think its possible. Plus, I don't think he'd ever ant me. I mean, for one, I'm human, and two…he's just too…fuck who am I kidding. I don't know what he's capable of feeling. Mikey told me the other day that Leo cares about me more than he lets on. What the hell is that supposed to mean exactly? And there's this feeling that's in the pit of my stomach. It's like this burning sensation, and whenever I think of him, or see him, or catch him watching me, it burns deeply. Not as in physical pain, but emotionally, and its not necessarily bad. I really don't know what it is. Maybe it's all my imagination. He seemed to be a little more focused today in practice. Which made me feel a little better. Maybe I should start being a little kinder to him. It's not really right for me to continue being mad at him for something that was completely justifiable. He was just thinking of my well being, and that means a lot to me. Maybe tonight I'll apologize to him. I owe him that.

Michelangelo

            "So did you do it?"

            "Yea, I did it. It had better work though, or your ass will become my personal    wall ornament."

            "It'll work, trust me Raph, I know what I'm doing."

            "Well that makes me feel _so_ much better."

            "Dude, listen, they're in denial. They don't want to think that it's possible for them to hook up. I mean look at Leo for instance. He's probably convincing himself that it's too dangerous for him to get involved with Rain. Ya know? He doesn't want the foot to get a hold of her or something."

            "Yea, you're right about that, we'll just see what happens I guess."

            "It'll work Raph. Trust me."

He gave me a grunt in response and sauntered off towards Don's lab. Poor guy, he's really worried about Leo. It was really hard for him to admit it too, but at least he talks to me. I just hope my plan does work, for everyone's sake. Ooh! Almost forgot, I need to talk to Sensei!

            "Master Splinter?"

I looked into his room and found him sitting on his giant pillow. I had made it during my phase where I was knitting and sewing just about anything I could for a period of 2 and half months. The guys still give me crap about that. He looked up at me with his wise eyes and gave me a small smile.            

            "Yes son?"

            "Umm…Leo hasn't talked to you about anything has he?"

            "No, but I do know that he is troubled."

            "Yea, he is. Very troubled."

            "And you know why this is?"

I looked down at the floor guilty of knowing something he didn't.

            "Its about Rain."

            "I know."

            "You do?"

I was shocked! Damn what doesn't Sensei know?

            "There are still many things you must learn Michelangelo."

            "Yea I guess so."

            "Leo love's this girl. He has loved her since his dreams started many years ago."

            "Wait, exactly how many years are we talking about here?"

            "Since he was young. He has been having them longer than you and your brothers. And he kept them secret till recently. He had felt dishonorable to you all. But I assured him that he had done no wrong."

            "Wow…and uh…you're ok with this?"

            "It is Leonardo's decision whether it is right or not. I can only guide him and hope he chooses the right way."

            "I see. So basically what you're saying is that if Leo and Rain hook up you would be cool with it?"

I looked at him, hoping upon hope that he would be.

            "Michelangelo, if being with Rain would make your brother happy, then I see nothing wrong with it."

I restrained myself from giving a loud whoop of joy and in instead bowed to him.

            "Thank you Master Splinter."

He gave me a wise smile and returned the bow. I hightailed it out of there and gave a loud whoop in our living room. Scared poor Klunk to death, but he'd get over it. Now that all lights were green, I hoped that everything would start falling in place. The sooner Rain and Leo find each other, the sooner our family would be pulled back together, and closer than before.

Donatello

I smiled, watching Mikey let out a loud holler of victory. I too was rejoicing in the fact that Splinter would be ok with Leonardo being romantically involved with Rain. I just felt kind of guilty knowing about Raphael and Mikey's plan that was being kept secret. I felt that it was my duty to let Leonardo know, but something restrained me. Maybe it was because I knew I did say anything to him about this, it would jeopardize everything. And that is something I did not want to do. I cared about him too much. I hoped the gods were smiling down upon us. We'll need all the divine help we can get.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey all! Thanks for all the great reviews and such! They're awesome! Sorry about taking so long with posting new Chapters. I'm a senior in HS now and its just busy as all get out! Plus being in a band doesn't help much either. I've just been so busy! Grrr! Anyways, more chapters to come so keep reading and enjoying! Love you all!

April~

  
  



	4. Honor and Love

Chapter 5- Honor and Love

            She came to me in the middle of the night. Her eyes spoke for her mouth, pleading me to come talk to her. So I slid out of bed as quietly as possible. Raphael was snoring loudly, but he wasn't the one I was concerned of waking. It was Master Splinter. She beckoned me to follow her that of course I did. We didn't speak until we were out of the lair and in the sewer tunnels. 

            "Hi." She said quietly. 

            "Hey, umm…I know of a place where we can go talk and not be disturbed, if you'd like…"

            "Yes, that's fine, I really do need to talk to you."

            "Alright follow me."

I walked up ahead of her and tried to calm my nerves. Why was I so nervous? The whole feeling was that of awkwardness, I hadn't realized how long it had been since we had actually been alone talking.

            "Leo, hold up. I can't walk that fast."

            "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize I was walking that fast."

She had to jog a little to catch up with me, that's when I noticed that she wasn't wearing anything on her feet.

            "Rain, where are your shoes?"

"Oh, uh…I guess I forgot to slip them on."

I sighed and walked over to her. Sometimes I wonder if women have any common sense at all. I went to pick her up and she immediately shied away from me. 

"Rain, I'm not going to hurt you, I'm just going to carry you."

"I know, I'm sorry. Its just…well I guess I'm just used to being hit and all. I'm not used to all the kindness you and your brothers and father have shown me."

"Rain you don't have to apologize. Just trust us, ok?"

She nodded and I picked her and started walking again. Cautiously she wrapped her arms around my neck and then curled up in my arms with her head resting on my shoulder. Honestly I could have held her like that forever. But I know it's wrong. I know it won't work out between us. It can't. She's human and…I'm not. However painfully obvious that maybe be, it's the truth.

I gently set her down on the carpet and then took a seat in front of her.

"Wow! Where'd you find this place, Leo?"

"In my wanderings around the sewer. No one else knows about it."

"What if your brothers needed you?"

"I would know. I would feel it."

She nodded and leaned back on her hands.

"Kinda dark though."

"Oh!"

I got up and went over to the small table sitting against the wall to the left of us. I had forgotten to light the candles. Jesus Leo, think would ya? I quickly lit them then sat back down across from her. My breath caught in my throat when I looked at her. She was breathtaking in the candlelight. The way the shadows danced around her made her look more enticing and exotic than before. I had to close my eyes and slowly try to calm my urges.

"Leo?"

"Hmm?"

"We need to talk."

"About?"

"Well…about what happened between us. I'm sorry I flipped out on you like that. Its just, well at the time I really didn't believe I had any other family but my father. But you and your brothers and Splinter have proven me wrong. April is terrific too! Taking me out shopping. I, uh, don't think I could ever repay you. But I want to apologize for being so cold to you for so long. I really shouldn't have. I hope you can accept my weak apology. I'm not really good with them. I really do care about you a lot Leo; I don't want to lose you. I'm afraid to lose you. Great look at me, I'm babbling again. And I can't believe I just told you that. God you must think I'm some sort of-"

His lips cut her off mid sentence. Just hearing those few precious words was all it took to send him over the edge. His lips burned for hers. His desires clouded his mind and his lust took over his body demanding him to do what it wanted. She completely melted into him, throwing her arms around his neck and returning the kiss with a desperate passion of feeling wanted. And he gave it to her. But of course the mind began to take control again and their lips parted. The kiss left them both breathless. 

            "I'm sorry…I…I…"

"Shh…Leo, its alright."

He smiled and caressed her cheek softly with one of his thick fingers.

"Rain…I care about you a lot. No… I'm falling in love with you. Ever since my dreams started I knew there was something there. Some connection. And then…then when I finally saw you in real life, I just had this feeling in my chest."

"A tightening feeling," she whispered.

"Yes. And when I touched you, I felt something come alive in me. And after that first time we met I couldn't keep you off my mind. Rain, I love you. I can't deny these feelings anymore. I want to because I'm afraid that you'll get hurt. But dam it I can't do it. I love you too much. I don't want to ever lose you. Ever."

She kissed his cheek softly, tears falling down her face. Was this really happening? She would have pinched herself. But something inside of her told her it was the real thing.

Rain

Words could not describe how I felt. What he just said to me was more than I could ever ask for. He loved me. He truly loved me. It didn't matter if we were two completely different species. He loved me because of who I am just as I love him for who he is. And his kisses, oh his kisses woke up parts of my body I had no idea were capable of feeling. He had left me breathless, god why couldn't we have met sooner? So many years wasted because he didn't know if I was real. Blasted destiny! I looked into his crystal blue eyes and for the first time saw feelings and hidden secrets that normally he kept unreadable. He was opening up to me. I loved him so much.

"I love you," I whispered into his lips.

Leo

My whole body yearned for hers; my lips ached when they weren't dancing with her lips. And when I heard her whisper those three simple words I lost myself in desire again.

I swept her up in my arms and kissed her deeply. She tasted so wonderful, like a salty rose. And she smelled like the ocean. I don't think I could ever get enough of her. I wanted to make love with her right there but I knew Master Splinter would not approve of it. It would be a very indecent and honor less act. So I held my panting desires and buried my mouth in hers. I have never known such passion before, passion that drove you over the edge and deep into murky water, clouding all your senses. Except for want and desire. I could be a poet. I broke the kiss and held her face in my hands.

            "Do you want to tell everyone now? Or wait?"  
I know it's probably not the time to ask. But I needed to know. I wasn't exactly sure if I wanted to tell them this soon or not. I wanted to tell Splinter at the right moment.

"Lets wait."

"Ok."

I smiled and pulled her into a tight embrace. I was afraid that if I kissed her again I might not be able to stop myself from going further. I only hoped that it would work. That nothing would go wrong. But I knew that was too much to ask for from the gods above. Were they smiling down upon us as we sit here holding each other? Are they watching over us, helping us, insuring us that it would be ok? Or were they mocking us because we were too different to last. Oh if I could only know. It would make life so much easier. But that's not how life works. They make it hard for us to live. Its how they play with us. Toy with our souls. In some ways it's very cruel. In others it's just something you learn from so that when it happens again you can triumph over them. Its just one big game and we're the pieces, the pawns in the game of life.

            They both sneaked back into the lair as quietly as possible, stifling their laughter. Two young lovers afraid of nothing, yet everything at the same time. If only it could last forever, but nothing ever does, that's not the way life goes. With a final breathless kiss they parted and went their separate ways. It wouldn't be their last departure from each other. And it certainly won't be kept secret for very long.

Donatello

Another morning. And another long, boring day. Michelangelo is cheery as usual. Enough to make anyone sick. But hell, that's who he is; I can't hate him for that. He could at least try and be a little more considerate and realize that other people live in this house too. And that they aren't as energetic as he is at six in the morning. I took a sip of coffee and turned the page in the paper. No mysterious crime waves involving street punks or strange masked men. Typical. The foot has been in hiding for too long. I folded the paper up and tossed it on the table. So much for trying to find something to do. Hmm…maybe I could go help Raph with the motor of the van. He's been working on that pile of scrap metal for weeks now. Might as well offer a hand in helping. That reminds me, I have to work on that antidote for helping us stay more flexible during the winter in case the foot decides to come out of the woodwork. So few things to do in such a great amount of time. 

Michelangelo

Donnie seemed a little more distracted this morning. Even the paper didn't seem to interest him. I guess the restlessness we've all been feeling has finally caught up with him. Poor guy. Oh well, I'm sure he'll find something to do. Maybe he can help Raph out with the van. Rain emerged from the hallway and trudged into the kitchen groggily. 

"Good morning sun shine!"

"Morning Mikey, what's for breakfast?"

"Hmm… that's a good question. What would you like?"

"Some toast with jelly and butter, along with a nice tall glass of orange juice."

I blinked, man this girl doesn't eat much at all. That's all she ever wants for breakfast, a couple slices of toast and a glass of orange juice. The thing that gets me is, she always asks what's for breakfast, and then just asks for toast! Girls are so confusing. I shook my head and went to making her toast. She could get the orange juice herself.

"So, I saw Leo last night."

"Say what?"

"I saw your brother."

"Oh?"

I raised an eye ridge, temporarily forgetting about her breakfast,

            "And? Tell me what happened!"

She giggled and gave me a playful smirk.

"Aw, c'mon, you can't leave a turtle hangin'. Its totally un-cool Rain!"

            "Heh, sorry."

She got up and walked over to me.

            "We kissed last night!"

            "You WHAT?!"

            "Shh…keep your voice down. I'm not supposed to be telling anyone."

            "Ok, sorry. Now wait a second. Leo kissed you? Leo knows how to kiss?"

            "Yes, and he took my breath away both times."

            "BOTH TIMES?"

            "Mike! Keep it down!"

How could I keep it down? This was the most exciting news yet! Holy shit Leo knows how to kiss a girl and take her breath away! My plan worked WAHOO!

            "So are you two like official or something?"

            "In a way, but we aren't going to make it public right now."

I could understand that. Leo would want to take his time and have it be the right moment to tell sensei.

            "Well you'd better keep me updated little lady."

            "Ok, deal," she laughed.

She gave me that flashy smile of hers, and then she went and got the orange juice out of the fridge. Damn she was a cutie! Leo was one lucky son-of-a-turtle!

Leo

I had to tell someone, anyone! I couldn't keep it to myself. Finally I made a decision and headed towards Donnie's lab. I knocked on the door quietly, and hoped I wasn't disturbing him. I know he has been working diligently on an antidote to help keep us flexible during the winter so that we can easily defend ourselves in case the foot decides to give us a surprise visit. After a few seconds of waiting, the door cracked open and one large copper eye stared back at me.

            "Yes?"

            "Uh…are you busy?"

            "Hang on."

The door shut in my face abruptly. I was left standing there for a few moments, waiting for him to finish up whatever he was working on. I noticed that lately he has become more and more secretive with everyone. What the hell was he doing in there? The only answer I received was the door swinging open swiftly and my brother's face looking out at me expectantly. 

            "Well, come in."

            "Uh…sorry if I caught you at a bad time Don."

I walked in a stood there, not really sure where to go, and not really wanting to upset him by sitting in the wrong place. His lab had become so foreign to me, it reminded me of when Mike had come in to ask him something and took a seat on one of the cots. Don flipped out and yelled at him to leave and knock the next time he wanted something. That was another thing I noticed about him. He was becoming more edgy. The only person that he never minds having in here or walking through to get to the garage is Raph. They don't ever speak to each other, but they have a mutual understanding of one another's workspace. So now here I was, standing here awkwardly in front of my older brother, completely unsure of what to do or say. 

Donatello

He looked really nervous. Normally he's the one who is always pulled together. But now he just looks like a mess.

            "Why don't you sit down?"

            "Um…where?"

            "The cot won't bite you."

            "Ok," he gave a nervous chuckle.

            "So what did you need Leo?"

            "Well, uh…I don't know."

            "Well there has to be a reason why you came here."

            "Yea…"

Damn, this was like pulling teeth. What was bothering him so much? If he keeps going on like this I might have to take drastic measures. Like maybe slapping him in the face and yelling at him to snap out of it.

            "Leo, talk to me."

            "It's about Rain."

I raised an eye-ridge and looked at him questioningly.

            "Um… we kind of sneaked out last night and I took her to my quiet place."

Both my eye-ridges were completely raised by now. Did I want to know where this was going? Wait, I should know better than to think that. Leo wouldn't do something like that behind Splinter's back.

            "So, what happened?"

I cringed, that sort of came out wrong.

            "Well, we talked, then um…"

            "Then…?"

            "We confessed how we felt about one another."

            "Wait, what?"

            "Well…you see…"

Ok this has gone far enough. I can't take this anymore.

            "Jesus Leo! Just spit it out would you!"

"We're in love with each other and we kissed. Twice."

            "Now, was that so hard to do?"

            "No…"

            "So you guys are kind of a couple now?"

            "Well, I guess you could say that. We're not really going to make it public right now."

            "I understand that. Going to wait and see if it works out?"

            "Yea, but Donnie, even if it doesn't have a chance, I'll make it work, we'll both make it work. I love her too much to lose her."

            "Sounds serious."

            "It is…it is…"

            "And what if it does work out? What are you going to tell Splinter? Better yet, when?"

He was silent for a moment, just staring at the floor intently. Then he finally lifted his chin up and looked at me with a half raised brow.

            "If it works out then I will ask her to be my bride. And I will tell Splinter that I can not live with out her, and that I want him to be the one to wed our souls together."

Wow, he even answered me in the same order I asked the questions. He's good.

            "Well it seems as though you have everything under control. I give you both my best wishes and hope the gods above will guide you along."

            "Thank you Donnie. That really means a lot to me, and Rain as well. Just knowing that I have your support in this, gives me more hope and confidence it will work."

            "Any time Leo. You know I'm here for you and you know you can come and talk to me whenever you need to, right?"

He gave me a small grin and nodded.

            "I do now."

I laughed and wrapped my arm around his neck, giving him a noogie. Little brothers can be so cute at times. 


	5. Beautiful Mess

_Disclaimer- Hey all! It's been awhile I know. But I'm completing this story for real. And I hope you all give me reviews and constructive criticism! Enjoy and yea…have fun. Oh btw I do not own the TMNT, just my charries._

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Leo-

I sat there before Master Splinter, awaiting his approval of Rain and I's relationship. My heart was pounding so hard that I was afraid it would burst through my plastron. I was prepared for the worst, him not granting our wish and telling me that I had to focus more on what the foot has brewing, but I knew in my heart and my soul that Rain would not get in the way of what I was raised to do, and that was to defeat the foot clan and regain Splinter's fallen Master's honor. But now was not the time to be thinking of such things, I wanted this to work, more than anything, and I knew that my brothers would be right by my side with support for both of us, and in helping Splinter's decision lean towards a definite yes.

"Are you sure that you are ready for a relationship this serious my son?"

"Hai."

He nodded slowly, looking me in the eye, reading the emotions that dwelled inside of them. I knew that all he would see would be the love and devotion I would give to her. My beautiful angel sent to bring light into my darkened and lonely soul.

"Then you have my blessing."

I sat there, shock spreading through me like a wildfire. Had he just granted us permission to be wedded?

"Th-thank you Sensei. Thank you so much."

I bent down low in a formal bow and didn't rise until I felt his bony fingers touch my head gently.

"You may raise now, my son. It is time to tell Rain the blessed news."

I nodded, tears clouding my vision, everything was alive inside of me, and it was everything inside of me to keep me from bolting out of his room like the small child I once had been. I got to my feet and bowed once more before leaving the room and going into the lair to find Rain.

"Yo Leon, what's the news?"

"He said yes, Raphael!"

I pounced on my brother, giving him the tightest embrace ever. I was elated when I felt him return the tight hug.

"Congrats bro, she's a beauty, don't let her go, ever."

"I won't, that's a promise."

He smiled and pulled away, a huge smile on his face."

"Go get 'er!"

I took off down the hallway, which led to her bedroom that was right across from Mikey's. My heart was still pounding and I wasn't sure if I would make it without having a heart attack. I knocked on the door swiftly, almost impatient to wait for the door to open.

"Who is it?"

"It's me."

Seconds later the door swung open, revealing the most beautiful creature I'd ever laid eyes on, the woman to be my bride. She looked to me with her dark gray eyes, a questioning look on her face.

"He said yes."

I was breathing hard, smiling broadly and unable to keep the tears from falling down my face. Her eyes grew wide in shock and happiness, her hand going to my face and gently wiping away my tears. Soft, careful fingers showering love on my worn face. Then soft lips tracing mine, quivering in joy as hot tears fell from her eyes. We were a beautiful mess. I wrapped my arms around her tightly and pulled her as close to me as possible, laying kisses on her wavy dark hair.

"I love you Rain. And I will always love you, until the end."

"I love you too Leo, the warrior who saved me. Until the end."

I slowly slid down to my knees, hands resting on her hips and looking up to her. She had covered her mouth with her hands, looking down at me, shoulders shaking with soft sobs of pure happiness.

"Rain, will you be my wife? My soul mate for life? The one to bare our children and raise them?

"Say yes!"

We both looked over to find my brothers and father watching from the end of the hallway. I couldn't help but laugh along with Rain. Her hands found my face and gently turned it back to hers.

"Yes I will Leonardo."

I could hear my brothers cheering us on as I got to my feet and pulled my bride into my arms, allowing our mouths to dance together, and feel our souls come together as one. We no longer had to hide our love in the shadows; we were now able to share it with the world. I was ready to give myself completely to her.

Rain-

I could hardly contain myself. A part of me felt as if it were all some dream, where I would wake up and find that it had never happened. But my soul knew that it was real, that he had just proposed to me, and now his lips were dancing with mine, and that we would be wed to each other till the end. My heart was pounding so hard that I was afraid that I would pass out from being over-joyed. Salty tears fell onto our lips, allowing us a taste of each other's happiness. This was one of the single most beautiful moment of my life. One that I knew would continue to be everyday. We finally pulled away from each other, catching our breaths, and trying to slow our pounding hearts. I nuzzled against his throat, running my fingers along his plastron lightly.

"I love you Leo."

I closed my eyes and listened to his heart beating, being comforted by it. His hands ran through my hair slowly, and I felt his lips touch the top of my head.

"I love you too."

Michelangelo-

I could hardly contain myself as I watched Leo take Rain into his arms and kiss her passionately! They deserved each other, being able to find their soul mates and what not. I already had this awesome poem written for them to be read at their ceremony. This is awesome, and it gave me hope that someday I would find my soul mate. That maybe Donnie and Raph will as well, especially Raph, because he needs a woman to train him. Plus it would be funny as hell to see Raphael get whipped! I couldn't help chuckling out loud for that thought

"What the hell's so funny Mike?"

"Oh nothing, just thinking of the day a woman will have you whipped!"

He shoved me playfully, sneering.

"No woman is gonna whip me. And that's a promise."

"Yea sure, whatever Raphael, you just keep telling yourself that."

I laughed, dodging his fist and running into the kitchen to start dinner. Tonight I was making pasta, it was a special occasion, and I just had a good feeling that Master Splinter would give Leo his blessing. So I was prepared to make my special dish. It was something the guys really loved and didn't get to eat that often. I had April go up earlier on in the week to get all the ingredients I would need to make the dish. Speaking of, she was going to be joining us for dinner this evening! I couldn't wait to tell her the news! Mmm mmm mmmm what an amazing evening this was turning out to be!

Donnie-

I could hear Mike singing to himself clear in my lab, as I finished cleaning up my desk. I guess we were all pretty happy to hear the news. Watching Leo and Rain embrace each other like they had, also gave me hope that my brothers and I would have hope in finding our soul mates as well. We knew they were out there, somewhere, waiting like Rain had been. Though I doubt it will be in the same circumstances. At least I hoped not, no one deserved to go through that kind of pain and neglect. I knew that Leo would give everything to her and more. I was very proud of my little brother. I just couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.

"You feel it too, my son?"

I turned to find Splinter entering my lab slowly, leaning heavily on his walking stick. I knew his time was coming to a close.

"Hai, I do. What do you think it is?"

"I am not sure. But it is not good. I fear for Rain."

I felt my heart jump in my throat, and turned away to look at the cold metal countertop that was my working station. I didn't want to admit it, but he was right. I could feel it too.

"Leonardo does not know, he is too distracted. Which may be better."

I nodded, agreeing, but in my heart I knew that it was wrong, that Leo should be prepared to be there if something were to happen.

"I know you fret my son, but do not worry, I will tell Leonardo when the time is near. For now, though, his mind is clouded with joy, as it should be. I do not think it would be fair to either of them to be worried.

"Yes Master Splinter, I agree. I just, I just wish there was a way to know exactly what it is that is wrong."

He nodded slowly, deep in thought. Then turned and started for the door.

"Time will tell Donatello."

A shiver went down my spine as I watched him leave the lab and head towards his room to meditate. I just hoped that whatever it was that was coming, would not be selfish in its time to arrive.

Rain-

Dinner had gone wonderfully tonight, April came with Casey, and Mike had made his famous pasta that all of them kept bragging about. Leo and I had decided to have the ceremony next week. I could hardly wait. I wanted it to be next week now. But I just had to be patient and wait; we had our whole lives ahead of us, what was the rush? After dinner, we all went and watched a movie that April had brought, while having some ice cream, chocolate chip mint, a favorite among all of us. Finally it was time to turn in, and for once I wasn't complaining. We said our goodbyes to April and Casey and then headed to bed.

"I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"To change in my pj's silly."

He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close.

"Can't you change here?"

I laughed and pulled away from him, blushing a little.

"No! We're not married yet."

He gave me a playful pout, pulling his belt off and tossing it on the chair next to his bed.

"Fine, but after next week, you won't have any excuse."

I smirked and left his room to go change in mine. When I came back he was already in bed, asleep. At that moment I realized just how tired I was myself. I walked over to the bed and slipped under the covers, curling up against him, giving his cheek a soft kiss. I watched as his mouth twitched in a small smile, his arms wrapping around me. I never wanted this moment to end. It was the first time I fell asleep with a smile on my face.


End file.
